One of the most common injuries in the workplace is repetitive stress injury (RSI). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, RSI is the category of work-based injury that is growing the fastest. RSI is caused by repetitive hand motions. One common situation leading to RSI is that in which the wrist is flexed upward, such as is common in data entry and typing.
Due to the significance and rapid growth of this problem in today's computer based workplace, there are many ergonomic products available on the market to remedy RSI's, e.g., wrist rests and wrist braces. There are also several patents in the prior art which is directed to this problem.
One such device is the "WRIST SUPPORT DEVICE FOR KEYBOARDS", U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,527, issued Apr. 20, 1993. This patent discloses a support which is secured under a keyboard. The device is immobile after installation. A similar device offering a support area with more padding for the greater comfort of the user is the "WRIST REST SUPPORT FOR A COMPUTER USER", U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,655, of Garcia et al.
Another type of device in the prior art makes provision for the movement of the user's hands The "FREE SLIDING HAND REST" of Walter Dandy, III, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,057, discloses a device with two support pads which slide transversely on two parallel rails which are positioned in front of the keyboard. The "KEYBOARD ACCESSORY" of Clifford Gross, U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,256, features two independent support pads which move along a track secured to the keyboard. It allows the support pads to pivot to accommodate rotation of the user's hands in addition to the lateral movement.
One of the common problems in the prior art is that many of the devices do not allow sufficient movement by the user, limiting his reach around the keyboard, and thereby creating a condition more conducive to RSI. Most current wrist rests are designed only for the wrist at rest, and do not provide sufficient support for the user while he is typing.
Another shortcoming found in some of the devices in the prior art is that they may force the user's hands into precisely a position that is most likely to lead to RSI. This is generally true only for brace devices.
Another problem with some of the prior art devices is that they do not provide sufficient cushion, and can thus chafe the user's wrists and hands.
A still further problem is that many of the prior art device are fairly complex mechanically, thereby being expensive to manufacture and difficult to install and/or store.